The Death of Fred Weasly
by Annabeth Black
Summary: When you die, you don't just DIE, you are collected to be taken On and this is what happens to Fred Weasly when he finds himself stuck between going On or becoming a ghost.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. None of the following characters (with the exception of an obvious one) are my own.**

**Please note that the writing in Italics at the start of this one-shot are actually the words from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and not my own work.**

'_Hello, Minister!' bellowed Percy, sending a neat jinx straight as Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. 'Did I mention I'm resigning?'_

'_You're joking, Perce!' shouted Fred, as the Death Eater he was battling collapsed under the weight of three separate Stunning Spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. Fred looked at Percy with glee._

'_You actually _are_ joking, Perce… I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-' _

_The air exploded._

Fred, still laughing, lost Percy, Ron, Harry, Hermione and the two Death Eaters in a sudden spark of darkness. His laughter stopped and I numbing sensation washed over his limbs. He couldn't feel his limbs. He couldn't feel his limbs! What was happening? Fred struggled, trying to get some part of his body to move, even just a bit, to clarify that he wasn't paralyzed but nothing. Nothing moved.

'George! Percy! Help me!" He cried but his voice… it was fading…

Terrified, Fred desperately struggled against his entrapments but it was no use. He couldn't-

Fred let out a yell as he felt again. A tingling sensation, that ran through his entire being. And- and he was rising; rising out of the darkness to stand in front of the door to the Room of Requirement. The battle raged on in the castle around him yet the scene before him seemed to take place in a distorted, slower version of time. Percy was on the floor, crying, and clutching a body… His body…

'No! NO! I can't be! I don't want to be!" Fred shouted as his entire world shattered around him. He wasn't dead! He couldn't be! George. George needed him and he needed George. Tears streaked down Fred's face as he thought of his twin, his partner in crime, the one person he couldn't live without…

'Master Wheezy!' A small voice squeaked from by his side.

'Dobby?' Fred asked, half scared, half amazed.

'Yes Master Wheezy. It's Dobby.' The elf looked up pityingly at Fred.

'What are you doing here mate? Shouldn't you be chilling in Heaven with the other House Elves?' Fred asked, already knowing the answer to his own question.

'Even in death, Dobby lives to serve Harry Potter and Dobby does this by taking his friends On. Dobby is here to take Master Wheezy On too.' Dobby smiled sadly.

'On?' Fred asked fearfully.

'On, sir, to beyond the white light,' Dobby clarified.

'No Dobby. And leave George? I don't think I can.' Fred looked around desperately for his twin. He needed George's comfort.

'Would Master Wheezy like to be a ghost then?' Dobby inquired, raising a bony hand.

'You can do that?'

'If Master Wheezy wishes,' Dobby nodded.

'I don't know,' Fred bit his lip.

'ROOKWOOD!' Percy roared and sprinted off in pursuit of a Death Eater.

'Can I have some time to think about it?' Fred asked hollowly.

'Of course Master Wheezy but you must make your choice and soon. You cannot stay like this forever.' Dobby nodded.

Fred tried and failed to smile before wandering the castle corridors for a final time, silent tears pouring down his face. With each step he took, another monumental moment of his life passed by: his and George's first broom ride, the day he and George got their acceptance letters from Hogwarts, meeting Lee Jordan on that first train ride to Hogwarts, finding the Marauders' Map in Filch's office and every single joke or prank he and George had pulled since then. All of his best moments had been with George. How would he cope without him?

Fred looked around, watching the battle with blank, unseeing eyes, searching desperately for the one person he wanted to see the most. And there he was, a mere two corridors away from Fred's own corpse, fighting for his freedom and ultimately, his life. George, completely oblivious to the tragic incident that would destroy his life forever, was not alone in his personal battle against a masked Death Eater, Fighting at George's side, where Fred himself ought to be, was a Gryffindor fifth year who'd obviously snuck back to join the battle.

She was George's opposite in many ways: She was shorter than him by about two heads and looked faintly Spanish where as he and Fred looked much like over-sized leprechauns. She was pretty; Fred would give her that but her presence made him jealous. She was defending George from all other attacks when that was _his_ job, _Fred's_ job. But George would need his new partner – _new partner_. The words tasted bitter in his mouth though he had not spoken them aloud – to comfort him when he realized that Fred would be lost to him for what would feel like forever.

If Fred became a ghost he could stay with George and not lose him. But to watch his brother's pain, to do things that as a ghost he could not… To watch George grow older with each passing day while he did not… Not to mention the effect it would have on George mentally, let alone the rest of his family.

No. No matter how much it pained him, he _had_ to go on and wait for George on the Other Side. There was no real choice.

'Is Master Wheezy ready to go yet?' Dobby asked, appearing at Fred's side again.

'Not quite yet,' Fred spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. 'I need to say my last goodbyes.'

'As you wish, Master Wheezy, but the goodbye is always the hardest part.' Dobby said wisely before vanishing again.

Fred turned back to watch George and the girl fight side by side for no one really knew how long and remained there until Voldemort ended the battle.

'I'll meet you in the Great Hall! I'm going to find my brother! He'd love to meet you!' George told the girl excitedly, running towards the corridor where Fred's body lay.

Unable to bare even the thought of what George's reaction to finding his body would be like (other than unbearably painful), Fred chose to follow the Unnamed Gryffindor Girl as she ran to the Great Hall. The moment she was there, she Accio-ed an apron from Madame Pomfrey's mobile healer's cart and began pushing it around, healing or at least helping whoever she could. Not once since she'd gotten to the Great Hall had she stopped and looked for George but Fred noticed that moments before George and Percy carried his body in, sobbing manically, the girl stopped what she was doing, at on the floor and covered her ears. It was like she knew what was going to happen as there was no way she could have heard them. Hearing his twin cry for him and call out his name burned a hole in Fred's heart and he too started crying again, though he did not approach his family. If he went over, he'd have to say goodbye and Ron and Charlie weren't there yet. He didn't bother to wipe away his tears as they physically weren't there, though he could feel their wetness dripping down his face. Instead, he squatted down in front of the girl in the apron and looked into her battle-worn face. Her hands were still clapped firmly over her ears and her eyes were squeezed tight shut.

'What's your name?' Fred asked, even though he knew he wouldn't get an answer.

'Megan,' the girl whispered back, causing Fred to jump. 'Megan Brookmead.'

Fred looked at the girl – at Megan – shocked. How could she hear him when no one else could? Could she see him too?

'Hey, Megan, can you see me?' Fred asked gingerly, taking a step closer.

'I can't see you. I can't ever see them. I just hear.' Megan kept her eyes shut a she spoke.

'How-' Fred began to ask.

'I've been hearing those about to go on after death for the whole of my entire life but I don't know. I just can.' Megan cut him off, still whispering.

Fred looked at her for a moment, _really_ looked at her, trying to spot something different about her, something that wasn't there.

'You're Fred aren't you? George's twin,' Megan whispered, breaking the silence between them.

'Yes I am. You'll look after him for me, won't you?' Fred's voice broke a bit at his own request.

'However I can Fred. I promise.' A single tear slipped down her face. 'You better go and say goodbye. Ron is here now and Dobby is waiting to take you to Dumbledore.' Fred looked up to see Ron and Hermione join the other Weaslys around his body.

'Thank you Megan. Tell George I love him.' Fred made to wipe the tear on Megan's check away and it actually worked, surprising Fred for the last time.

'Everyday.' Megan made her final promise.

Slowly, in an almost dream-like state, Fred walked over to his family for his final goodbyes. The closer he got, the stronger the urge to runaway was but he _had_ to face it. It was past time.

'Mum, Dad,' Fred looked to his parents, who were sobbing in each other's arms, as he closed the final steps between them. 'I'm sorry for all the times George and I made you mad. You were great parents. The best. I'll always love you guys.' Fred planted the ghost of a kiss on each of his parents' foreheads.

'Bill,, you were a brilliant big brother. I hope you and Fleur stay happy together,' Fred turned to his sister-in-law. 'You're a gorgeous addition to the family. I never told you that. Welcome to the Weaslys.'

'Charlie, you were always the funniest after me and George and I appreciate that. I hope you find a dragon-loving girl to keep you company out in Romania.' Fred looked at his next two oldest brothers sadly. 'And Perce, thanks. You made dying a laugh, which is more than I ever could have asked from you.'

'Ron, help George. Out of everyone I think you're the most suited one to help keep the shop going. YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE SHOP GOING. For me. Oh, and if you don't get with Hermione after this, I will personally come back and kick your useless fat butt.' Fred gave a hollow laugh.

'Ginny, you're going to be a fine, beautiful young lady. Stick with you're the best little sister anyone could ask for.' Fred kissed the top of her head before moving to stand next to George.

'I'm gonna miss you Georgie boy,' Fred's voice broke but he fought on to get the words that were caught in his throat out. 'You were the best partner in crime anyone could wish for. Stay strong for me, yeah? I'll be waiting for you on the Other Side, so don't worry about me. I'll see you when I see you. I love you George, my brother.'

'Have you made your decision Master Wheezy?' Dobby squeaked from around Fred's knees.

'Yeah Dobby,' Fred replied after a moment. He sounded sick and tired but more importantly, heartbroken. 'Take me On.'

Dobby said nothing but grabbed Fred's hand in one of his own and watched the Weaslys cry for Fred with him, until they both dissolved into the light.

**Please leave reviews of what you think (anonymous reviews are accepted too). It means a lot to me.**


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